Israel thanks British Airways and Air France, KLM for ending flights to Iran

PM Netanyahu thanked Air France and British Airways who cited “business reasons” for terminating their flights to Iran this September, joining the Dutch airlines, KLM.
• Germany’s Lufthansa: No plans to halt flying to Iran for now.

By Eldad Beck, Ariel Kahana, Ilan Gattegno, News Agencies & Israel Hayom Staff

 

Major British and French airlines announced Thursday that they plan to halt flights to Iran from September, citing business reasons. The decisions come in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s reimposition of sanctions on Iran.

The Air France-KLM Skyteam Alliance ends flights to Iran, joining British Airways. – Photo: Wikimedia

British Airways said it was suspending its London to Tehran service “as the operation is currently not commercially viable.” Continue Reading »

Trump strips $200m in aid to the Palestinian Authority

Failing a review directed by President Trump “to ensure these funds are spent in accordance with U.S. national interests and provide value to the U.S. taxpayer,” the State Department cut  $200+ million in aid to the Palestinians.

By MICHAEL WILNER

 

WASHINGTON — The State Department has cut more than $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority “at the direction of the president,” the administration announced on Friday.

Mahmoud Abbas ultimately rejected President Trump’s message to the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem, May 23, 2017. – Screenshot: White House:IsraelandStuff.

The aid cut is the result of a review of US assistance to the Palestinian Authority ” to ensure these funds are spent in accordance with US national interests and provide value to the US taxpayer,” said a State Department spokesman. Continue Reading »

Hamas threatens Israel should Mahmoud Abbas continue sanctions on Gaza

Following Israel’s Defense Minister promise to southern community leaders that he will not make an agreement with any terror group that’s committed to Israel’s destruction, Hamas warned Israel of consequences should PA leader Mahmoud Abbas fail to end their sanctions on Gaza.

By Elior Levy

 

The Hamas terror group threatened on Friday that Israel would “pay the price” if sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas continue or worsen.

“Israel is responsible for ending the current situation in coordination with, and encouraged by, him (Abbas),” a Hamas statement said.

Palestinian kleptocrats: Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh (left) and his second-in-comand, Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar (center) PA autocrat, Mahmoud Abbas (right)

The ultimatum comes on the heels of expected renewed indirect talks between Israel and Hamas as they work to reach a long-term ceasefire to end months of fighting that has repeatedly brought the two sides to the brink of war. Continue Reading »

Confirmed: Gaza terrorist killed by IDF tank worked for Doctors Without Borders

ANOTHER so called ‘humanitarian’ NGO goes rotten with a Palestinian terrorist working for Doctors Without Borders, who “opened fire toward [Israeli] military forces and even threw an explosive device at them,” before an IDF Merkava tank eliminated him.

By David Rosenberg

 

Israel said a terrorist who was a member of the Geneva-based organization “Doctors Without Borders” opened fire at IDF troops on the Gaza border earlier this week, a charge the group said Friday it was investigating, after it had confirmed the death of an employee.

The terrorist was eliminated Monday morning, after he opened fire on Israeli troops. An Israeli tank later shot at and killed the terrorist. Continue Reading »

Head of UNHRC’s anti-Israel crime probe into Hamas ‘March of Return’ resigns

David Crane, who was tasked by the overtly anti-Israel UNHRC to chair a panel to only investigate Israel’s actions during the Hamas riots along the Israel’s border known as the ‘Great March of Return,’ offered his letter of resignation yesterday.
– Watch investigative video report.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF

 

Legal expert David Michael Crane resigned Wednesday from his post as chair of the UN Human Rights panel that is probing possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Crane, who teaches international criminal law at Syracuse University College of Law in New York, was appointed to the post along with the two other panel members last month. Continue Reading »

Photoessay: IDF Navy delegation participates in world’s largest naval exercise

The 2018 Rim of the Pacific Exercise was carried out by select naval units from 26 countries, in a massive maritime exercise in which the ‘enemy’ threatens a critical sea route, similar to a scenario where the Strait of Hormuz is being threatened by Iran.

By Yoav Zitun

 

For the very first time, an IDF Navy delegation took part in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. During the drill, which took place near Hawaii last month, Israeli officers joined the commanding team. The exercise included 25 participants from 26 countries, 47 warships, 200 fighter planes, and five submarines. Continue Reading »

Fatah contenders arm militias preparing to war for Palestinian Presidency

REPORT: The potential of the hundreds of million$ that can be skimmed for personal wealth has senior Fatah officials collecting weapons, some even recruiting armed Tanzim operatives, in preparation for the eventual post-Abbas reign, as President Trump is proving kleptocrat Mahmoud Abbas isn’t willing to make peace with Israel.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Senior Fatah officials are stepping up the preparations for the succession struggle over the position of Palestinian Authority chairman, which will open up as soon as Mahmoud Abbas announces that he is ending his term of office, Kan reported.

According to the report, the various candidates for the position have begun to accumulate weapons for the struggle, and recently began to recruit armed Tanzim operatives who will stand by them for money, favors and alliances to strengthen their status in the PA. Continue Reading »

Palestinian officials reject Trump’s promises of ‘something big’ in negotiations

Having deemed President Trump as ‘pro-Israel’, Palestinian officials parrot Abbas, dismissing all assurances of gaining something “very good”, should they stop rejecting out of hand all calls to return to the negotiating table.

By i24NEWS

 

Palestinian leaders rejected apparent overtures by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday after he said they would get something “very good” in exchange for his country recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The December decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy to the city sparked fury among Palestinians, with the political leadership cutting off ties to the US administration.

The White House’s effort to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process appears to have stalled, and in interviews with i24NEWS Palestinian leaders scoffed at recent attempts to focus largely on economic growth at the expense of the most prickly political and religious subjects. Continue Reading »

Israel requests UN peacekeepers return to posts in Syria

Now that President Bashar Assad regained control of the Syrian Golan Heights, Jerusalem asks U.N. to increase size of UNDOF force from 1,000 to 1200-1300 peacekeepers.
• Remember: UNDOF retreated from Syria in 2014 after peacekeepers were kidnapped by an al Qaida force.

By Lilach Shoval

 

Israel has asked the United Nations to reinstate its Disengagement Observer Force on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights border, outgoing Northern Command Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Asher Ben-Lulu has confirmed to Israel Hayom.

UNDOF peacekeepers were first deployed on both sides of the Golan Heights border in 1974 as part of the Separation of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Continue Reading »

Facebook, Twitter delete hundreds of fake Iranian & Russian accounts

Amid worries of foreign attempts to influence U.S. midterm elections, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms have remove hundreds of accounts used to push Iranian and Russian agendas, citing, “coordinated inauthentic behavior” and “manipulation.”

News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff

 

Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet have collectively removed ‎hundreds of accounts tied to Russian and Iranian ‎users that cybersecurity firm FireEye‎ said were ‎promoting Russia’s and Iran’s ‎geopolitical agendas around the world.‎

Some of the Twitter and Facebook accounts were designed to ‎appear as if they belonged to real people in the United States, ‎Britain and Canada, according to FireEye. Continue Reading »

Left happy after Trump said, Israel will pay “high price” for US Embassy move

Hinting to a quid pro quo situation, the ‘left’ were pleased to hear President Trump say at his rally in West Virginia yesterday, that the Palestinians would soon “get something very good” in return for the U.S. moving its Embassy to Jerusalem, “because it’s their turn next.”

By GIL HOFFMAN

 

US President Donald Trump’s statement that Israel will pay a “high price” in its negotiations with the Palestinians because it won something “very big” with America’s relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem brought joy Wednesday to the Israeli Left, which praised him.

Addressing a rally in West Virginia, Trump said that the Palestinians would soon “get something very good” in return for the May embassy move “because it’s their turn next.” Continue Reading »

Israel sends humanitarian aid to flood victims in Indian state of Kerala

With over 350 killed and 800,000 left homeless in the worst flooding the Indian state of Kerala has seen in over a century, Israel sends food & clothing with IsraAid suppling clean water & counseling for the victims.

By Itamar Eichner

 

Israel has sent humanitarian aid to victims of the monsoon floods in the Indian state of Kerala. At least 350 people were killed and more than 800,000 were left homeless by the disaster.

Israeli Consul in Bangalore Dana Koresh and the consulate staff delivered the first truck of humanitarian aid Tuesday to the residents of Kerala.

Dana Kursh, Consul General of Israel to South India, based in Bangalore & Ariel Seidman deliver humanitarian aid in India – Photo: Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Water, food and clothing were delivered in accordance with requests by local authorities. Continue Reading »

Hamas reiterates it will not make peace, will torpedo Trump’s Peace Initiative

World leaders still ignore the fact that Hamas absolutely refuses any peace with the Jews and unfortunately, after a generation of indoctrination and incitement from their leaders, many Palestinians support their agenda.

By Israel Today Staff

 

As elements in Israel and the international community work on a new Middle East peace proposal, they continue to ignore the fact that a sizable portion of the Palestinian population simply isn’t interested in a peace that enables Israel to continue existing.

Unfortunately, that part of Palestinian society, even if it is a minority, is large enough to effectively scuttle any efforts to end the conflict. Continue Reading »

J’lem court denies BDS request to reveal identity of lawyers ‎representing Israel

#BDSfail: Jerusalem District Court on Monday maintained the legal privilege of attorney-client confidentiality to outside parties when pro-Palestinian activists claim protecting identities of foreign attorneys representing Israel’s interests overseas “poses a slippery slope of anti-democratic activity.”

By Ariel Kahana

 

The Jerusalem District Court on Monday denied a ‎petition by pro-Palestinian activists’ demanding to ‎reveal the names of the attorneys who work with ‎Israeli ministries to counter the boycott, ‎divestment and sanctions movement activities ‎worldwide. ‎

Since 2015, Israel – through the Strategic Affairs Ministry – has ‎been waging a low-profile campaign in Europe against ‎organizations promoting the boycott of the Jewish ‎state. Continue Reading »

Israel’s President Welcomes US National Security Advisor John Bolton

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin warmly welcomed John Bolton to Jerusalem, saying how much he personally appreciated all that he’s done for Israel over the years, “and we know that you’re going to do more.”

By GREER FAY CASHMAN

 

United States National Security Advisor John Bolton received an especially warm welcome when he called on President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.

Rivlin is always happy to welcome visitors to “Jerusalem the capital of Israel, the eternal capital of the Jewish People,” but in Bolton’s case, it was also with the knowledge that Bolton is “a great friend of the State of Israel and the Jewish People.” Continue Reading »